Adult-FanFiction.org : Television / Streaming

Joxer and the Men	By : AmberDDawn Category: S through Z > Xena Views: 2235 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own "Xena: Warrior princess", or "Hercules: The Legendary Journey" They were produced by Renissance Pictures I am not making money for this fiction.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Yes I'm still here. As always I really Hope you enjoy this strange fiction.
I feel weird about this chapter but I hope you don't mind it. It feels a little to conveinent. But I am kinda making this up as I go. Trying to remember things alluded to in previous chapters and reworking them into the story, so you don't feel like you've been left hanging on a plot point.

Joxer and the Men

Chapter 15: Strife in my Life

Cupid fought down his silly grin as Strife hopped along next to the mortal. Pushing the ocassional low hanging branch out to hit him in the face or catch his soiled clothes. He would have out right tripped Gallus except that would have slowed the group down even more. Gallus was sweating heavily and breathing raggedly. He'd refused both food and water from either women. He was waiting for Joxer to help him and none of the others were about to let that happen. It was so damn hot and he was so tired. Resting under that tree tiedup left him sore and stiff, not to mention his arms were turning purple by the time they released him from the tree. Being tied to the horse was only marginally better.

The prisoner was starting to fall behind and without Strife's influence he tripped on an upturned tree root. He ended up on his face and didn't try to get up. His breathing slowed a bit as he felt himself blacking out.

Xena slid out of the saddle, and hopped down. She grabbed the man by the elbow and lifted the man surprisingly let himself be lifted and when he got to his feet he started to buckle again. Xena cursed.

"Auto, Gabrielle," Xena called them, "This is taking forever help me get him up on Argo."

Then the two got closer and Xena thanked the gods when Joxer hung back and didn't insist on helping, she whispered, "He's got a fever. Don't tell Joxer it would only upset him."

Cupid stopped when the mortals had, "Did you make him sick?"

"Not exactly...I don't have that kinda power...I did trick im inta eaten a couple juniper berries," Strife smirked, "Nothin much ta kill'em just gave im tha worst stomach cramps of 'is life."

Cupid almost felt sympathy for the man, almost, "No wonder he smells so bad. I think we might need to lay off that mortal until they get to the next village. He's looking rather sick."

They watched as three mortals wrestled the sick man onto the back of the horse laying him on his belly against the horses rump as they bound the listless man in place. Joxer looked very concerned, wondering why they were doing this. He was still too fearful of Gallus to go near though so he just stood back and watched.

Once they had him secured they moved on almost doubling thier pace. Xena led the horse Gabrielle close beside her. Joxer and Auto in the lead for the time being.

They walked for hours. Fianlly, when Auto noitced Joxer was struggling to keep pace, he asked them to stop. They'd made it a good distance and so they ate lunch. They tried to give the man water from his position on the back of the horse. It was an awkward angle,but it didn't matter he turned his head away from the water skin. They tried to be quick about their afternoon meal so they could get back on the road. If they pushed themselves they might make it to the next village that night, Xena had said. Everybody was in agreement that they at least try.

Lydus huffed and puffed as he pushed himself forward. He was ancient, and by rights should be resting, or at the least not walking briskly south away from his people. The Gargarean Healer had a personal mission. He had to get that boy and bring him home. He uttered a prayed that the young man was both alright and also that he had not done anything to Joxer.

He had missed the group Joxer was traveling with by less than a day. He would find them heading toward the next nearest village in the south, Oxynia, according to the guard on duty (A sour looking man with two black eyes and a bent nose). He hoped to catch them up and warn them, or find Gallus on the way to them and convince him to abandon this mad quest. His chances for sucess were low. He knew all to well that was why he had quickly scralled something on a bit of parchment, folded carefully, and placed it in his son's hand before he kissed his cheek and left. They were insturctions for the chief in case he was not able to make it back to the group. He was frightened. He'd left his son and son-in-law and their unborn child. All of his friends, everything he knew but he had little time left on earth. He didn't want it to be wasted time.

He found he was in luck as a man driving a fruit cart offered to take him as far as the last orchard south of them. It would put him at the halfway point in his destination from Colyrus to Oxynia in a matter of hours rather than in a day. He also got in a much needed nap as he leaned againt the side of the empty cart. He was blessed by Morpheus with a dreamless sleep.

Cupid liked watching his younger cousin. His body swayed almost eratically as he walked along side the troop of mortals and demigods. Strife swayed his hips and giggled. His eyes lit up and he almost glowed, "That's it...put tha egg on 'er chair...she won' notice 'til its too late," He whispered to no one in particular...or was he talking to a mortal, "Teach tha ol' bat ta hurt yah kitten. Poor thing musta been so scared an' alone in that sack." His smile faltered and a frown stretched across his mouth... He suddered and came back to himself.

"Sorry...mind slipped," He looked ahead of them, "They makin' good time I suppose." Strife attempted casual. Casual was not Strife's forte. Strife lifted his arms above his head and stretched until Cupid could hear his back pop. It was a strangly erotic sight all that lanky lean muscle wrapped in skin tight leather and that ass wasn't someting a mortal was born with...that was the ass of someone who worked for it, or a god. He supposed gods didn't have to work much to look perfect. That ass was perfect. Cupid's hand itched to feel it. No wonder he'd seen other gods attempt to grope that. Same gods who turned their noses up at him on the street were all over him at one of Bacchus or His mother's orgies...when he was obligated to attend. Strife only ever showed up if it was a requirement. He only stayed long enough to be polite, and he hadn't even been spotted at one for...Well was the last one ten years ago? Maybe.

Strife turned as if he sensed his cousin eyeing him, arms still above his head a smirk on his face like he knew someting. Then it became confused and he dropped his arms to his sides, "I miss sommin'?" He asked.

"Nope," Cupid quickly shook his head and looked back at the road, "So Strife...what do you do when you're not causing Mischief?" He looked back to his cousin truly curious.

Strife turned to give him the most puzzled look possible. Then he smiled and said, "When am I not causin mischief?"

Cupid smiled and snorted, "You've got me there Cuz," Cupid looked over at the mortals. Autolycus and Joxer were holding hands and Joxer was blushing. It was very sweet if somewhat distracting to the love god. He looked back to Strife who had followed his gaze with a pensive look.

"Joxa's gonna get 'is heart broke," Strife uttered, "Nevah trust the good lookin ones...no 'fence Cuz...They're always lookin' to trade up."

Cupid was taken aback, Strife had inadvertanly called him 'good looking' which was flattering but then implied all handsome people were fickle, "Hey...first of all love isn't just about how a person looks on the outside...admittedly atraction plays a large role in my job but if its just about looks mortals wouldn't stay together past fourty."

"No worries cuz...I know people like Joxa an' me need ta be mindful...People tha look like us gotta protect ahselves. Bein ah stop gap ain't no fun," Strife spoke of this as if it were a natural thing.

There were so many things wrong with what he'd just heard coming out of his cousin's mouth. He frowned hard, "Who said theres something wrong with the way either of you look? Besides, trust me Auto isn't going anywhere."

"Thought yah said yah didn' interfere!" Strife pointed an accusing dagger at his throat. Cupid leaned away and shook his head.

"I didn't, but trust me, neither of them is planning on trading up," Cupid put up his hands in a placating gesture. Strife grunted and slid his dagger back in it's hidden sheathe.

"Anyway," Cupid drawled out the word for a second, waiting for Strife to look back at him, "I've been meaning to ask...for a few years actually...would you ever like to maybe work together? I know your tied to war but a little Mischief can go a long way in romance. You'd have ample opportunity to make trouble and for a good cause for once."

One look at Strife and Cupid knew he had put his sandal clad foot in his mouth. Strife put his hands on his hips and was about to go on a tirade about the importance of war but the group of mortals stopped suddenly. The looked up to see a caravan blocking the way.

"Well, well, well..."A man in strange colorful robes wearing an ornamental mask, glided over the rough terrein like it was smooth as glass. He smiled looking at the group, "A wealthy travler; a horse, a slave, and a harem. He eyed the women but then he notced Joxer being pulled closer to Auto. The stranger sized up Auto and then slid over to him bowing graciously until his medium length hair brushed the ground. Then he snapped up, "Good sir...We are humble travelers. Entertainers and crafstmen who go from village to village offering respite, entertainment and novel trinkets...Unfortunatly one of our wagons has a broken axel. We seem to be stuck...at the moment. We were hoping a freindly group of pilgrims might assists us in repairing the damage." He turned to Joxer and smiled broadly, winking under the mask, "We would repay you with a meal and passage...assuming you are also headed south?"

"I'm afraid none of us is good with our hands," Auto supplied and tugged Joxer even closer.

Joxer blushed prettily, and the man noticed smirking, "That is too bad. I was hoping to make this easy, but if you insist."

Suddenly two large men...bigger than the largest Gargarean man they had seen probably half-giants, and a centaur stepped from behind the wagons. Each half-giant was weilding a weapon that made Xena's sword look like a tooth pick.

Xena wasted no time flinging her chakrum at one of the giant men. The centaur licked his lips as he charged Gabrielle. Instead of attacking her he attempted to grab her round the middle. She lashed out with her staff hitting his hands away from her and rolling on the ground to avoid being trampled.

"Capture the women, Kill the big man...but the little one is mine!" The man in the colorful coat shouted pointing out Joxer as his. Auto pushed Joxer behind him and snarled as he pulled a dagger from each thigh. Joxer felt helpless he didn't have his sword anymore. He didn't have armor and he was carrying an innocent child inside him.

Strife didn't hesitate as he grabbed one of the half giants by the collar and yanked, making him stumble. He fell and his massive club smashing into the ground making the earth shake. Thankfully Xena managed to dodge in time. Cupid lifted his crossbow and hit the other half giant between the eyes. He blinked in a daze then his eyes set upon one of the troop's horses. He ambled over to it lifting the poor beast off the ground in a hug and kissed it on the lips. He horse reared back and dashed his skull in with its hooves. It knocked him to the ground kicking and bucking. Its harness snapped and it trotted off into the woods. The centaur managed to get Gabrielle off the ground and was cackling as she fought against him trying to swing her staff. The halfman tried to force the blond woman into a kiss when Xena's chakrum smashed into the side of his face. Gabrielle flinched as a couple of his teeth were knocked loose. His grip on her slackened and she fell to the ground with an oof.

If they thought they were done they were wrong. Three men and two women came out weilding blades. Some were curved and others were straight and long but they all looked viciously sharp. The women did flips in the air screaming at the top of their lungs and they both held twin daggers not much unlike Auto's. Long and thin, and wickid sharp they bared down on Gabrielle who was still recovering from her fall. Two of the men were each handling two of the curved swords spinning, twirling and glinting in the sunlight. They slowly circled Xena The third man ran straight at Auto weilding a long sword.

The man in the colorful coat vanished in a puff of smoke. While Auto was distracted dodging the sword, the man who must have been their leader reappeared behind Joxer. He grabbed him by the arms and pulled him fush to his long body. He felt a wet tickling against his ear and tried to jerk out of the man's grasp. He felt something coiling around his legs. His chin was grabbed and his head turned forcefully to look at his captor.

"Relax Beautiful," The creature...not a man...flicked a reptilian tongue against his lips. The eyes were dark but from this close Joxer could see the slitted pupils clearly in the almost midnight irises. The hand on his face was rough and covered in green scales. The man nuzzled him pushing his mask just a bit. Underneith the intricatly designed mask Joxer could see half his face was scaly like his hand. The mouth of a man smiled easily showing off sharp teeth. "Normally I favor younger boys but you are very special. You smell divine! I'm going to enjoy you to your last scream."

Whatever was coiling around his lower body squeezed him and Joxer screamed in agony as his legs were crushed together. He struggled against the binding hold trying to kick agianst it or pull his legs up and apart to free himself, but each time he managed to get the thing to give it tightened back up and moved higher. Something rubbed against his middle and he panicked. Looking down he saw a serpent tail rubbing at his belly.

Suddenly he felt a cool smooth weight in his hand. He looked at his free hand there was a dagger there. It didn't look familiar to him but he was desperate. He stabbed blindly behind him hitting the creature in the chest.

He was released scrambling to his feet. Thank the gods his legs were not broken. He Turned to see the man raising up on a serpentine tail under his robes. He was glaring hatefully at the would-be-warrior, "Bastard! I'm going to enjoy devouring you!" He was holding his side the colorful robes were stained dark red almost black with his blood.

Strife felt himself let out a sigh as Joxer used the dagger he'd put in his hands. That creature trying to pass itself off as a mortal bared its fangs and reared back like a serpent. It struck at Joxer and the man held out the dagger aiming for its head but glancing the cheek. The mask it wore was knocked off revealing a face that was half perfect human beauty and half reptilian horror. The creature bore down once more; one hand, and one claw with sharp nails stretched toward Joxer.

Joxer felt a force pulling him to the side. He went with it. Then at the last second he turned and plunged the dagger in the beast's neck screaming angrily. Black blood sprayed him in the face and he fell backward from the momentum. Things went fuzzy and he decided to take a nap.

Xena was easily handling the swordsmen, whom seemed to be more accustomed to dealing with untrained fighters. The first one went down while his blades twirled like a gleaming fan. She struck out at the center of those whirling blades catching his arm and slicing it open. The other thought to sneak up on her but she turned and met his swords with her own and fought him back. His couterpart tried to come back at her holding his bleeding arm to his chest. His other sword forgotten. She sliced through his throat as he swung his blade forward. She blocked his blade with her chakrum and smiled grimly as she pulled the sword from his neck. He fell shaking like a leaf.

The other screamed and came at her even harder swinging both blades from either side at her head. She ducked at the last second and ran him through the gut. He made an urking noise and dropped his swords grabing her blade to pull himself off it. She helped him remove it, slicing his hands open as she pulled the sword out of him.

Gabrielle was having a bit more difficult of a time spending most of her energy defending from the women. They were agile, and though their daggers weren't long, they could bend and flex out of the way of her strikes. She looked around her wildly as they ran circles around her.

One dove in under her staff to swipe at her legs the other went high. Gabrielle swung her staff down and around at the other women glancing one of them but she shook it off quickly. Then one of them took suddenly took a jolt and stumbled back. She looked at the bard. Her jaw worked slowly then she smiled at her. The other attacked and the first women snarled, "Don't you dare touch her!" Her voice was thick and accented. Her dark hair trailed after her as she attacked the other women with her blades. Gabrielle stood there shocked as the woman tore into her companion.

"Hersilia, Get off me!" The one under her, who could have been her sister, fought and slashed at her defensively.

"Don't you even think about touching that beautiful, innocent girl Estella!" She snarled and stabbed at her in a blind rage. Both women's daggers found their homes in the other woman. One stabbed in the neck the other in the chest. The one on top looked to Gabrielle and smiled fondly. Blood bubbled up in her throat. A dagger stuck from the center of her chest. She pulled it out absent mindedly. Blood poured from her wound.

"Are you ok my sweet?" She managed to ask before coughing up more blood, "I love..." She slumped down on her former companion. The two women bled out in a mock embrace.

Auto was panting hard as he dodged and ducked the long blade. The man didn't do flashy moves like his friends; he was direct, and fast. The sword swung in a long ark toward Autolycus. He had his fair share of sword fights, usually his solution for this sort of problem was to run. With Joxer being threatened, though, he had no choice but to fight back. He felt the battle taking a toll on him and he was still a bit dizzy from his head injury. Auto narrowly escaped the sword coming at him. He felt himself pulled back by someone and He tripped backward landing on his back in the road. The man coming at him lunged and Auto pushed his feet up agianst the man's stomach screaming as he flipped his attacker. He just barely managed to roll out from under the other, and the strangest thing happened. The other man sliced through his own arm in the air. It was almost as if someone had pulled the swordfrom his hand and slashed him. He screamed as he rolled over on his sword.

He got back to his feet and a hand rested on his shoulder. He spun with his short blades at the ready but stopped at the last second seeing Xena. She pointed behind him in the tall grass on the side of the road lay a monster and not far from that lay Joxer.

"Joxer!" Auto sheathed his daggers and ran to his lover.

"Don't touch him Auto, we need to get that blood off him," Xena warned, "I know a gorgon when I see one." Even If he was he was only half the chance that his blood might be poisonus was too great to risk touching it.

"Shit!" Auto hovered over Joxer looking horrified.

Xena came over and knealed next to Auto holding some rags. Gabrielle was not far behind her.

"Cupid," Xena suddenly spoke as she wiped the black blood form Joxer's face, "Theres no point in hiding from us if you're going to help us fight anyway."

"I guess not," The god made himself known. But to the mortals' surprise standing not far from him was Strife. His normal manic smile wasn't present.

"He gonna be awright?" Strife asked.

Joxer moaned and cracked his eyes open he looked up at Auto blood streaked over half his face, "Hey," Joxer said and smiled at his lover. Then he looked at Xena and Gabrielle and then at Cupid and Strife, "I miss something?"

Xena smiled in relief, "Yes, he's going to be alright, and no you didn't miss too much Joxer."

Joxer let his head fall back to the grass and he smiled, "Good."

Xena continued to wash his face and then when all the blood was on the rags instead of their friend's face she leaned back. Auto dove at him scooping Joxer up into his lap and hugging him tight. Joxer yawned and leaned into his lover, "I'm exhausted."

Xena looked at the rags with a disgusted face and dropped them. Just the tiniest bit of blood got on her fingers and they tingled.

"That's gorgon blood alright," She shuddered. Joxer should be convulsing and bleeding. She felt nauseaus from just a drop on her fingers. He was sleeping peacfully in Auto's arms. Auto carefully stood lifting his lover to his chest. The group picked their way through the felled bandits. The colorfully painted wagons were sitting innocently on the side of the road. When they got closer they saw that one of the wagons did look broken. The other was fine and the horse stamped nervously as they got near. Then there was a muffled yell and several thumps.

"Help!" It was barely audible, coming from the back of the broken wagon. There were large drum shaped barrels. There was thumping coming from one of them. Xena and Gabrielle climbed up in the back and together pried the lid off. Inside two muddy hazel eyes the size of platters peered at them. She was garbed in pesant clothes and bound by her hands and feet. She was forced into an uncomfortable position curled with her knees against her chest.

"Get Hektor! Hektor!" The Girl struggled, "Hektor!"

"Calm down," Gabrielle shushed her, "Breathe."

They helped her out cutting her bounds. She shakingly rubbed her wrists and inhaled slowly, "My brother. They got him. He was touching him," Her face scrunched up in disgust, "That monster he was touching Hektor. He's just a boy! Please tell me he's ok!"

There were other barels. Xena and Gabrielle pried off the one next to her. There was a boy tied but unconcious, There were tear tracks on his face and his clothing was tattered. Someone behind Xena gasped and long thin arms reached past her. The black clad God reached in and picked up the boy willing away his bindings and repaired his clothing. The boy whimpered.

"Poor Kid," Stridfe frowned. The mortals looked at Strife like he'd grown a second head.

He felt the eyes on him, "Wha'? Tha majority ah ma followahs ah children. Ah don't like ta see 'em hurt eitha!" He carried to boy over to the young woman. She shurnk back when he smiled at her. He gently laid the boy next to her and she grabbed him pulling him away as she looked around wairily.

"We ain't gonna hurt yah," Strife held his hands up and backed off," The girl checked her brother he was bruised and unconcious, but alive. She hugged him to her chest.

"Th-thank you," She shuddered, "There are others...in the drums. The one in the robes ate Davos he screamed so loud." Her eyes looked distant as she recanted the ordeal, "His mouth just opened wide and he bit into his neck. Davos screamed and there was so much blood. Then he started eating him and Davos went quiet. That thing it wasn't a man...It was a sepernt with a man's face," She pulled in a ragged breath, "He petted Hektor and said he would save him for later. He touched him in places and they just held us and made us watch as that thing ripped his clothes and hurt him. When he fainted the serpent just frowned and put him in a drum. I tried to get loose to save him. They tied me up and stuffed me in one of the drums too. Lyra and Ada, Davos' sisters, gods please let them be alive."

Xena and Gabrielle found that there were a few more drums. They found the girls both weeping and cringing in fear. There were some empty drums in the back of the unbroken cart. the group rolled them off and helped the girls and the unconscious boy onto the back of it. It was already hitched and ready to be driven. The broken cart, Xena could see, was purposefully put off the axel to make it look broken.

"Clever trick," Xena reached for Argo's reigns. Thankfully the bandits had not gone after her horse. Their prisoner was still tethered securly to Argo's rump. He hadn't moved an inch.

Auto placed Joxer inside and climbed in next to him supporting the sleeping man. The women scooted back nervously but Auto paid them no mind. Gabrielle took the reigns of the cart and drove it around the 'broken' cart. Strife ran and jumped on the back gracefully standing with his arms out. Cupid took to the air and Xena mounted her horse with her passanger in tow.

"Where are we going?" One of the girls demanded.

"Oxynia," Auto said, "It's the closest village to here right?"

"Yes," The girl answered back but she looked frightened.

"Don' wory thay ain't slavahs," Strife winked at the girl, "An' we ain't monstahs." He pointed to himself and Cupid in the air, "We'ah gods."

The girls looked at cupid hovering above them. He smiled reassuringly. The girls, of course, managed to smile for the perfect handsome god o' love, "Is that...Is he...Cupid?" Strife was willing to give them slack disreguarding him and going gaga over cupid, they were probably in shock and they hadn't wrapped their minds around the fact that their brother had been eaten by a giant snake man. The one holding Hektor who hadn't given her name was more sullen and she was holding her brother carefully not looking at any of them.

"Are you from the village? Or do you live on one of the farms around here?" Cupis drifted closer so he could ask. The one holding the boy shook her head, "We're traveling Our mother and father sent me and Hektor to stay with our Aunt and Uncle. Money's tight. Davos, Ada and Lyra were coming with us. They wanted to visit some family in the south so we decided to travel together...Safety in numbers and all." Hektor stirred and she cupped his head.

He whimpered, "Sophia."

"Shh," She kissed his forehead, "I have you. You're safe now."

"Ok," He said in an accepting way, sinking into his sister's hold. The siblings love and trust was palpable. It was not Cupid's godhood but it still gave him a little bit of a charge to feel pure love eminating from the siblings. The two others felt oddly at peace considering their brother was dead.

The gods had decided to hang back for a while and just watch. It was a much quicker going for the group. They set a steady pace toward Oxynia.

Lydus had been so grateful to the man. He was given a small bag of apples and was able to fill his waterskin from their farmer's well. The man who had given him a ride looked on him in concern, "At your age you shouldn't really be traveling alone."

"My god is watching out for me, but I thank you for your kindness If I can ever repay you I promise I will," Lydus bowed. His back creeked when he did.

"No need for that. I have parents. I couldn't imagine my mother or father out alone. Why don't you stay the night here? Its getting on in the afternoon."

Lydus really wished he could take him up on his kindness, but he needed to make haste, "I thank you but I have to reach my friend. He left our group while ill and I must reach him before something terrible happens." Ok he fibbed a bit, but he didn't know that Gallus was ill.

He left the farmer at his gate and continued south. He walked all night hoping to see a campfire's glow. By the morning he was slowing down but he did find the remains of a camp. It gave him hope and he pushed forward. He finally decided to make camp the second night. He was even more grateful for the apples then. He was too tired to hunt, but he could work up a fire and roast some apples on a stick.

He heard a nickering and jumped in surprise. A grey dappled horse with half a harness hanging off it wantered in snuffling at his side. The beast looked haggared and hungry. Lydus stood pulling his apples out of the fire. He reached into the bag and pulled one out and held it up. The horse came close and he gently pulled the bridle from its mouth. Presenting the apple the horse brayed and chomped into the profered fruit. He patted the beast's white and pink nose to calm it and ran his hands down its neck to the fastenings. he began working the harness free.

"Maybe you and I could work out an arrangment," He whispered to the horse. The horse snorted and nuzzled his side, "Still hungry are ya? I have one apple left in the bag. If that will do ya for the night and we'll see if we can't find you some more apples later." The man felt a bit less lonely having a companion to camp with. He gave the horse the last fresh apple.

Once the horse had demolished the apple, He reaffixed the bridle in the horses mouth. The animal accepted it. Taking the leather straps he tied the horse to a branch so it couldn't wander off in the night. Looking at the broken harness he thought he could fashion some make shift stirrups. He figured he could ride bareback. He'd ridden on oxen in his youth. Maybe they were similar...he hoped.

TBC
- 14
- 15
- 16
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Joxer and the Men